Prime Minister Blair yesterday attacked MPs for opposing the police demand for powers to hold people for 90 days without charge.
Blair told his monthly press conference that Metropolitan police chiefs Blair and Hayman had told him ‘90 days is necessary’.
It was pointed out that he had said that police had foiled ‘two serious terror attempts since July’, and ‘if the police are able to foil these attempts doesn’t that mean they don’t need these extra powers?’
Blair replied that ‘the police do need these powers – and after all there is judicial oversight every seven days with these suspects – when they say they need these powers, I think we have to listen to them’.
He claimed that ‘if we are forced to compromise it will be a compromise with this nation’s security.’
He attacked MPs ‘who are going to walk through the lobbies and vote against what this country needs on the basis of they know better’ than the police.
He was asked: ‘Why not make this an issue of confidence in you and your government, since you believe in this so much?’
Blair replied that would be a diversion from the issue. He added: ‘This isn’t just about Labour rebels, why is the Conservative party en masse, including its two leadership candidates, why are they voting against what the police tell us is absolutely essential to protect this country’s security?’
He was asked: ‘Why don’t you turn on your own party, and indeed many of your own ministers, including the Attorney General who privately say they do not believe in what you are arguing, now you are trying to turn it on the opposition when you have a perfectly good working majority.’
Blair said ‘of course it’s a question for everyone’.
He added: ‘When the public understands what the issue is, it will be asking MPs “how are you in a position to judge?” ’ when the police are insisting they need 90 days powers.
He was then asked about former UK ambassador to the US Christopher Meyer’s claim that ‘you could have stopped the war on Iraq, do you think that’s right?’
Blair replied: ‘I’ve nothing to say on that at all.’
He was pressed: ‘Why didn’t you use your influence, wasn’t it worth delaying the war for a few months to see if there were any weapons of mass destruction?’
Blair claimed that ‘I made strenuous efforts to secure a second (UN) resolution but the French had made it clear they would veto it.’
It was put to him: ‘You say MPs should not know better than the police. But isn’t that democracy?
‘How far are you going to go in giving the police more powers? Would you give them 180 days? Would you bring back capital punishment, the stocks – when is it going to stop?’
